Crossing the Street Safely Children need instruction on how to cross the street safely under several conditions: At a location where there are stop signs At a location with traffic signals At a location with a school crossing guard At any location with moving traffic According to studies, children have a difficult time judging time and distance relationships. Plus, there are at least 26 different decisions to be made each time you cross a street. That does not count the decisions needed when you add a bike being rolled across, or a toy being carried across. It is easy to see why repeated training in how to cross a street safely is an important part of childhood education. The rule of thumb is that no child under 7 should cross a street alone. Many professionals have bumped that up to children 10 and under. But the truth is that there is no magic age of safety. Kids forget to look, and they forget that the rules include any place there is a chance of pedestrian collision with moving vehicles. Reminders are examples of smart parenting. There was a close call just the other day at our local gas station. Two kids (ages 12 and 10) were handed a dollar each by their father to spend inside the gas station store. Without looking, they tore across the gas station lot to get inside. Six cars were able to stop without hitting them, but it was a near thing. Neither the children nor their father noticed the quick reflexes of the people around them. It's not that the kids should have know better, which is of course true. It's that their parent should have known better. Whether your kids are crossing a street, a gas station, an amusement park lot, or any place cars are coming and going - remind your children of the basic rules. Basic Rules:  Crossing the Street Safely Rules Think First - Find a safe place to cross Stop - Look both ways. Do you see traffic? How about a parked car - is someone in it, really to pull out? What do you see? If traffic is coming, let it pass When it is safe, walk straight across and keep looking around. You never know when a car might suddenly pull away from the curb, back out from a parking place or a driveway, or appear suddenly from around a corner. We all know that training on how to safely cross a street begins in early childhood. Here are some lesson ideas and coloring pages to help you achieve this important goal with your students and/or your children and grandchildren. Coloring and Activity Pages Sparky's Safety Message The Crossing Guard helps you cross the street   Elmo and Betty cross the street   Kingston obeys traffic signals  Safety Games Enter a door for Police Officers, Kids, Teens, Parents, Teachers, Articles, Special Offers   Free counters provided by Andale   Clipart Credit: Clips Ahoy